Postie and discounts return Honda to top

Heavy discount offers on learner motorcycles and a large delivery of NBC110 postie bikes to Australia Post has helped Honda leapfrog Harley-Davidson to return as the top-selling road bike company in Australia in the first quarter of 2016.

It was just 91 ahead of Harley-Davidson with 2286 or 19.7% and Yamaha at 1778 or 15.4%. Harley had led the road bike category for the first time last year.

The most significant growth in road bike sales last quarter was recorded by Ducati, up 31.1% to 468 and Yamaha up 20.5% to 1778.

Road bikes continue to dominate the market, rising 2.8% to be 46% (11,576) of the total motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles (ATV) and scooters sold up to the end of March. That compares with 41.4% of the total market in 2015.

Sales across the market were up 1.6% to 24,994 in the first three months, according to official figures released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), following a minimal 0.1% increase for 2015.